Sacred Concord

Mbh 7.111.1c

Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Those other elephants, O king, seven hundred in number, that thou seest, all cased in armour and ridden by Kiratas, and decked with ornaments, the king of the Kiratas, desirous of his life, had formerly presented to Savyasachin together with many servants in their train. These, O king, were formerly employed in doing thy business. Behold the vicissitudes that time brings about, for these are now battling against thee. Those elephants are ridden by Kiratas difficult of defeat in battle. They are accomplished in fighting from elephants, and are all sprung from the race of Agni. Formerly, they were all vanquished in battle by Savyasachin. They are now waiting for me carefully, under the orders of Duryodhana. Slaying with my shafts, O king, these Kiratas difficult of defeat in battle, I shall follow in the track of Arjuna who is intent on the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus. Those (other) huge elephants, sprung from the race of Arjuna, of impenetrable hides, well-trained, and adorned, and from whose mouths the juicy secretions are trickling down, and which are well-adorned with armour made wholly of gold are very formidable in battle and resemble Airavata himself. They have come from the northern hills, and are ridden by fierce robbers that are of strong limbs, that are all foremost of warriors, and that are cased in steel coats of mail. There, amongst them, are persons born of the cow, or the ape, or of diverse other creatures, including those born of men. That division of the assembled Mlecchas that are all sinful and that come from the fastnesses of Himavat, seem at a distance to be of smoky colour. Obtaining these, and countless Kshatriyas, as also Kripa and that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona and the ruler of the Sindhus, and the Karna, he thinks lightly of the Pandavas. Impelled by fate, he regards himself crowned with success. Those I have named will, however, today be within reach of my arrows.
Mbh 7.111.1c · Mahabharata · DRONA PARVA

Themes in this passage

LeadershipWarNatureSinStrengthWealth

Leadership in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Taoism and Hellenism address it.

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